


This Is How It Works

by WorldOfOurOwn



Category: The Shannara Chronicles (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-21
Updated: 2016-02-15
Packaged: 2018-05-15 07:07:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5776225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WorldOfOurOwn/pseuds/WorldOfOurOwn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Princess Rover, Eretria's thoughts through the tv series. Pretty much glosses over anything not related to their developing relationship. Wil isn't too present, but he's still there. Kind of.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. It Started Out as a Feeling

The moment you saw her ears, her bracelet, her frightened face, you despised her. For what, you’re not sure. Maybe it was simply because she was an elf. Maybe it was because she was a snotty princess who had been catered to from the moment she was born. Maybe it was because she was foolish for walking around alone in the forest. 

Maybe it was because she was everything you were not.

So you played your tried and true tricks on her, ready to prove to your father that you weren’t useless. You weren’t a disappointment. You swore on your life you wouldn’t be.

But you don’t know what happened. One moment you were watching her drink your drugged water, the next you were wiping water off of your face and had a knife against your throat.

Suddenly you have a whole new level of respect for this chick. Well, you would if you weren’t so pissed off at her for acting like a complete and utter prick.

So when she throws you her bracelet you can’t decide exactly how to react. Before you can hit her with one of your knives, she’s already too far gone. You tell yourself that you didn’t hesitate on purpose. You try and convince yourself that you don’t actually care about her, that she doesn’t matter.

But you keep the bracelet. It’s beautiful, as you look over it, that night. You hold onto it, because maybe it means something that she gave it to you. She didn’t have to. That has to mean something. 

Your father never gave you anything beautiful. He always taught you the hardships in life. He never gave you anything. He only ever took. He took your childhood, your youth, your innocence. He took your freedom. He took everything beautiful away from you so that you would only ever be able to see the filth and dirt in the world.

And yet this random elf princess waltzes through the woods and gives you something beautiful. She doesn’t even realize what she has given you.

It’s a symbol of a new life. A new you. Freedom. A world without your father. Without stealing. After all, that’s what matters most to you, right? It’s not about the elf princess. It isn’t.

He promises you freedom. He doesn’t mention the princess, just the half-elf boy and the stones. And so you agree to do as he says. 

But when you find him, he is with her. Why is she with him? You tell yourself it’s about freedom. It’s like a chant. A prayer. This is not about her, it’s about your freedom. And so you put a knife up to her throat, hold your head a little bit too close to hers, and remind yourself what it is you’re fighting for.

The only problem is you’re not so sure yourself what that is anymore.

You have unfinished business, but you don’t know what that is. What do you want from her?

You don’t want a rematch. She looks at you and you go cold. She hates you. You can see it, and you know you should hate her too. She stands for everything you’ve been taught to hate, and yet you don’t feel hatred. You feel something you’ve never felt before, and this makes you scared.

You don’t want her to challenge you to a rematch. You’re afraid that she will win. Or you’re afraid that you will win. Either way.

You don’t want to kill her. She doesn’t expect it when you release her, although in your mind what else could you do? And this time when she holds a knife to your throat, it feels like betrayal. 

You hear your father’s sarcasm, dripping with glee. He couldn’t care less about you. You wonder how long he has been waiting for you to die. You wonder if there’s anyone out there who would care if you died.

Would she care? You sense her confusion. A feeling bubbles up in your chest. You want to call it hatred. You hate that she has never known what it’s like to be despised by your own father. She has only known caring. But you know that it isn’t hatred. 

You know hatred very well. This was one of the only things that your father left untouched. He took away your joy and your wonder, and he left cold, bitter hatred. You know this feeling because you get it every time you see your father. Every time he looks at you, touches you, the feeling boils in the pit of your stomach.

But this, this is something new. 

When you take the power from her and hold her life in your hands, you wonder how much you’re willing sacrifice for a new life. Would you kill her?

Before you can answer this question, she saves your life. And that feeling in your stomach bubbles up through your chest to your throat. And you don’t know if you’re breathing or not. 

Would she care if you died?

But it’s always back and forth between you two. Between trusting and betrayal until you’re at a point that you don’t know what you are anymore. One moment you’re bodies are pressed together with a fury right above you, the next she’s pushing you away. And that feeling — that feeling that blocks your throat — it comes back.

God, what is that feeling. Why does it hurt so much, but feel so … so comforting?

You’re so afraid of it. Afraid because you can’t control it. You had never been able to control anything other than your emotions. But now, you’ve lost your grasp on that as well.

So instead you hold onto her bracelet. But, of course, good things can never last. Your dad has only ever taken from you, and so this he must take as well. 

You are headed towards her castle, towards her home, towards the castle to retrieve what you have lost. To obtain what your father wishes to take. You wonder why your path always seems to collide with hers. You wonder why it always has to hurt.


	2. My Sweetest Downfall

Of course, no matter what you could never be with her. That is how life goes. You always wanted what you could never have, if only because you were never able to have anything at all. And out of all the things that you want, she is the furthest from your reach.

No, if you wanted her. If you wanted her, she would have been the furthest from your reach. Don’t forget what you really want is freedom. It’s what you’ve always wanted, isn’t it?

But still, there’s a sort of irony in it, isn’t there? Your father taught you how to steal, and yet nothing you took was what you truly wanted.

The elfstones. 

And Will. 

Oh god, then there’s Will. He was so easy to take from. Truly, you aren’t really sure about him. How to feel about him, that is. But then again you were never really sure about Amberle either.

When he says that he isn’t dating Amberle, you suddenly feel very relieved. You’re not sure exactly why. The feelings in your chest that feel like they will either kill you or lift you higher, you can’t put your finger on them. You don’t know what it is.

What you are sure of is how much it hurts when you get caught. When they accuse you of trying to kill Amberle. As if you ever would. As if you could.

But when you look towards her. When you shout her name. All you can see is disgust. You don’t know what hurts more. Knowing that this is the end, or knowing that she absolutely despises you.

Instead, it’s neither. 

She appears at your cell door, with Wil by her side. Both of them with mistrust spread plainly across their faces, and you can’t help but taunt them. You see Wil’s discomfort and Amberle’s look of betrayal.

What hurts is seeing that Amberle actually cares about Wil. 

This is it, you think. No more. No more thinking about her. Look out for yourself. You make a promise to yourself (that you know you can’t keep) to not to get caught up in impossible dreams. But all of your dreams have been impossible, haven’t they?

When she offers a way back out, you accept. Not because it will help save her life, but because it will help save yours.

When Wil realizes the danger that Amberle is in, you start to panic. No longer for her. For yourself, of course. 

When she is saved, you are ready to leave. You will claim what is yours. The one dream that you can actually live.

When she decides to lock you back up, you wonder why you’re surprised. As if she could ever care for you. Remember, elves hate humans and humans hate elves. And this elf especially hates Rovers. You’re just a blight. A nuisance. A problem. 

You suppose you always knew you were nothing, but that doesn’t make this hurt any less. The revelation, if you can even call it that, that she will never care for you, for even when the Ellcrys told the elf about you, she still preferred to lock you up than trust you.

In fact, the only thing that keeps you from being locked up in a dungeon for the rest of your life is the druid.

“Go to hell.”

She says that you may be in hell soon in enough. She doesn’t realize that you have always been in hell. 

She doesn’t understand that even now — no, especially now — you are in hell. And you want her to understand what that feels like. 

Whether or not she realizes it, whether or not you realize it, she is the one thing keeping you from escaping.


	3. Good Is Better Than Perfect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I decided to split Chapter 2 into two different chapters, so if you read my previous Chapter 2 and are confused as to why this sounds so similar, that would be why. I did make some changes, took out some stuff, added some stuff in, so yeah. You might still want to read this again. Please tell me if you notice something weird with the split or something.

Through the pain of the journey and the burn in your legs, your feet, you remember this: she’s the one to blame.

As you’re dragged on through the forest, she gets to ride all high and mighty on her horse.

You trip and fall, the exhaustion overwhelming you, and you scrape the palms of your hands in the process.

Wil tries to help, but you know it’s pointless. It’s always about her, and you know she will never do anything to help you.

She calls you Rover, and you call her princess.

When Cephalo comes to your rescue, as disgusted as you are that he is even there, you are almost relieved. You don’t feel any remorse when they leave Wil and the others to die. You tell yourself that you don’t. They never cared for you.

As for the princess … Well of course you don’t feel anything. Why would you? Right?

She calls you by your name.

“Eretria.”

It seems as though you two only refer to each other by name when asking for mercy. 

She offers you money if you get her out of there, and you know that she never understood you. As if it was ever about the money.

But when you leave, ready to start a life without your father, without elves, without her, you see Cephalo tormenting her. And suddenly you can’t. Not anymore. Who were you trying to fool?

As you turn and ride away from the camp, you feel your chest and stomach twisting into little knots. You can’t do this. 

You could have what you’ve always dreamed of. Freedom. A new life. And she is going to take it all away from you. 

But if it means that she is safe from him, maybe you’re okay with that.

You go back. Of course you do. Who could even doubt that you would? She would, and did. You know that she will never understand you. Why you came back. You offer her an excuse that it’s for the money. But it was never about the money.

She seems partially terrified of you, partially in awe. As if you’ve suddenly changed from the girl you were before. And maybe you have.

As you leave the camp, you share your first genuine smile with her, and something inside of you sparks with pride. With hope. That maybe it will work out.

You get to know her as you travel. Her intrinsic selflessness. 

She stops the elf named Crispin from beating Cephalo senseless. Even though he spared no pity for her, she is filled with care. Even though you wouldn’t have minded if she hadn’t intervened.

She tries to rush into the poison to save a man who is already lost. It came to you too late that the scout was walking straight into a trap. You should have known better. But you are the one to hold her back. 

You call her princess, and wish you could call her by her name. Maybe she is different.

You reach Drey Wood, this is the first time you have to come to terms with the risk you are taking in helping Amberle. 

You see the decapitated heads and imagine how their lives ended. How your life could end. 

When you meet the Reaper, she cuts Cephalo loose. She trusts him. You wonder why she could never trust you so easily, but that really isn’t that important at the moment. Right now, there’s a demon to worry about.

When you run off into the woods together to escape the demon, you can’t help but think of the life you could have led. 

You think of a life where you don’t run from demons. You think of a life without your father. You think of a life where you don't have to fear death. And then you think of her. And you think, maybe it’s all worth it.


	4. Hold In Your Breath

You suppose you could learn to respect her once again. Or rather, you’ve learned that regardless of whether you want to or not, you are already beginning to respect her, so you might as well just go along with it.

You travel along, watching as the people bicker in the team over whether or not to trust Cephalo. Amberle places her trust in Cephalo, with her naive trust. 

Even through her threat towards Cephalo, you know that four of you are still taking a gamble in trusting his judgement, and you can't help but wonder why she can trust him so easily. Why she couldn’t trust you as easily.

And as you climb the treacherous mountain path, you find yourself reaching out for something, anything, to hold onto. 

“Here!”

Amberle’s arm finds its way into your grasp, and though this is not any more steady than your footing on the slippery ledge, it still gives you comfort and confidence as she helps to pull you along.

She continues to check back on you to help you along, and you can’t help but feel a warmth in your chest that persists through the freezing storm.

When you all find and enter the fortress, it seems empty. Left to be forgotten in the mountain. Until you find the girl.

She’s creepy, to say the least. Her hair is disheveled, and she is way too young to be wandering a decrepit fortress on her own. Still, you follow the group, although you aren’t exactly confident that this is the best idea. 

Throughout the whole encounter, something feels very off. The way that the elf Remo talks is suspicious. 

And then there’s the bath.

Well what can you even say about it?

You poke fun at her royalness. Another princess joke. It’s all you manage to say, really. What else could you have said?

But she goes along with it. A Rover joke. You wonder if that’s what she really thinks about Rovers, about you, but you smile because at least she’s going along with the conversation.

You see something you want, and you go after it. Do you want her? You wanted freedom, but when it was right in front of you, you didn’t take it. You rejected it for her.

She makes a jab at your actions. Of your sleeping around.

Do you want her? More importantly, does she want you?

You tease her. Flirt with her. She seems troubled, so you ask if she’s afraid that she’ll like it. It’s more that you’re afraid that she won’t. Being this close to her feels right. 

She scoffs. And if that weren’t enough, she says, “You and Cephalo deserve each other.”

Your blood runs cold. Suddenly, the warmth of the water and the buzz in her chest disappear, and you’re left with ice in your veins. You stare in her eyes, daring her to mean it — or searching for some kind of sign that she didn’t — before pushing yourself away.

You should have known better. You knew that elves thought that all Rovers were the same, but for some reason it hurt more knowing that Amberle thought that way too.

She asks what the mark on your shoulder means, pulling you out of your bitter thoughts.

You say you don’t know, but you can tell she doesn’t believe you. You take one look at her, and you know that you’re going to tell her. You can’t keep secrets from her.

You think about your past, and can’t keep the the bitterness out of your voice.

You look away. In shame? In fear of how she’ll react. As you tell her tale, you can tell she pities you. You hate it. You don’t want her pity. 

When there is a noise at the door, you are actually glad for the distraction. For a moment you had thought would be magical, you had turned out feeling very uncomfortable.

As it turns out, however, this would not be the worst part of the night. When you wake up after eating your dinner meal, you aren’t even that surprised. Remo had always seemed suspicious.

But when Amberle, with her naive trust, reveals her identity to the elf, you know that she has doomed herself.

You have to save her. Except you don’t. You’re the one who escapes and frees the others, but you are not the one to save Amberle. When you enter the room, Wil has already saved her. And he is kissing her.

You are glad that Amberle is okay, but even still, you still wish it was you on the receiving end of that kiss. 

There is a guilt, for wishing this. You know that had Wil not been there, you may have been too late. This does not make it any easier to see her so in love with him. You avert your eyes when they break apart to look at you and the others. You should be more focused on getting out alive.

You’re moments away from escaping this hellhole when Remo comes back, wanting revenge. You watch as everything unfolds before you. The girl, Mag, dies before you, and Amberle kills Remo, stabbing him through his stomach with her sword.

Something about this is terrifying for you. The way she so easily took the elf’s life, without a second thought. You stare at her, this new side of her you never saw. How she can go from believing in the good of people to killing Remo guiltlessly is a mystery to you. A mystery you want to solve.

As you and Cephalo leave the fort, you are hesitant to leave Amberle and Wil behind. He convinces you to cross first, telling lies of sending the zipline back. You get the sense you are slowly turning into Amberle yourself.

Amberle is on the other side. She calls your name. Mercy, right? She needs your help. You look into her eyes, and the trusting, wide-eyed princess is back. The mystery you want to solve.

Cephalo warns you not to go back.

“They’ll never choose you.”

So be it. 

Neither a denial or an agreement, because you yourself aren’t sure whether he’s right or not. There is hope and fear, bundled inside you. Hope that maybe you will find a family of your own. Fear that your new family will reject you. You know they both have already chosen each other over you.

But still. 

Hope is the strongest thing in the world. It is what will keep you going. You will hold on. You can wait. You’ve already waited this long, so what’s a little bit longer going to hurt? 

You go back for the others, trying to outrun the Reaper, but it’s too late. It jumps onto the wire using its axe, and its weight sags the wire and stops you from moving forward.

Wil uses his Elfstones to no avail, as the Reaper is about to strike you all with his second axe. 

Suddenly, you’re falling through the air, and you aren’t sure of anything. Not of the future, not of the demons, definitely not of Amberle. The only thing you’re sure of is that you need to live. Because you refuse to die before you know what it is like to be loved by someone.


End file.
